Horace Mann - Spring 2017 - 17

HM Alumni Address "The Issues" in Their Work and Lives

Research Center study reported
courage and adjust to increased
that in 46 percent of two-parent
father engagement with
households both parents were
measures as small as including
employed full time, up from 31
diaper-changing tables in all
percent in 1970, and that labor
public restrooms, to developforce participation for women
ing father-friendly obstetrics
with children under age 18 was
facilities and pediatric practices.
69.9 percent. Rates of employPromoting recognition of the
ment in single-parent houseneed for such efforts is a third
holds are also high, with mothchallenge. These challenges can
ers employed in 70.8 percent
be addressed by engaging in reof households they maintain,
search, disseminating findings,
and 82.1 percent of fathers
devising and providing training
employed in father-maintained
programs, and participating in
households. This reality necesforums, scholarly writing and
sitates dual parent engagement
popular media communication-
in two-parent households, and
all of which TFP pursues.
responsibility sharing in single
parent homes with another
The benefits of engaged
parent or parent figure in the
fatherhood
picture. In 2012 Pew reported
Dr. Levy sees The Fatherhood
that seven percent, or roughly
Project's work as not only
two million U.S. fathers, were
benefitting individual fathers,
Kenneth Braswell of Fathers Inc. and Dr. Raymond Levy '66 of The Fatherhood
not employed outside the home, Project at the White House Dialogue on Men's Health, January 2016
families and children, but socia four percent increase since
ety as a whole. The growing field
1989. By 2015 women earned more than men in five million U.S.
of fatherhood research, combined with expanding research
households. Combining this with the decrease in traditionally
in early childhood neurology and brain development yields evimale-held jobs results in more men taking on primary childdence of the advantages children gain from father engagement.
rearing roles.
It also shows that father engagement in the perinatal, infancy
Two additional findings describe a negative and a positive
and early childhood periods impacts a person throughout life.
aspect of current "fathering"-related trends and attitudes. On
As TFP notes, people with actively engaged fathers or father
the downside, more than 25 percent of fathers with children 18
figures during childhood are: more likely to achieve success in
years or younger live apart from their children; nearly a third
their careers; forge strong and lasting positive relationships;
report communicating with their children less than once a
have improved abilities to handle stress, and more. TFP also
month and; 27 percent say they have not seen their children for
shares strong evidence that: father involvement is related to
an entire year, according to another Pew study. On the upside,
such positive child health outcomes as improved weight gain
polling across all demographics show fathers' desire to be
in preterm infants and improved breastfeeding rates; children
involved in parenting has grown over the past three decades
who feel a closeness to their father are twice as likely to enter
to reflect a near-even percent of men as women describing
college or find stable employment after high school and; 75
parenting as "extremely important" to their identities, whether
percent of adolescents and teens are less likely to have a teen
in single-parent, blended, same-sex, or co-parent homes.
birth, 80 percent less likely to become incarcerated, and half
as likely to experience multiple depression symptoms. TFP also
An opportune time for father engagement
highlights research showing that the quality of the father-child
For The Fatherhood Project these developments reflect an oprelationship matters more than the amount of time spent
portune moment for fathers to realize full engagement-emotogether, with non-resident fathers able to positively effect chiltional engagement, as Dr. Levy emphasizes-in child rearing. It's dren's social and emotional well-being, academic achievement
also a time to redefine "a more involved and expanded version
and behavioral adjustment. In addition, high levels of father
of fatherhood for generations to come" despite the "enormous
involvement correlate to higher levels of sociability, confidence,
challenges" of this moment, suggests TFP.
and self-control in children; children with involved fathers are
For one, learning fathering skills can be difficult for fathers
less likely to engage in risky behaviors in adolescence; and 43
raised during eras of reduced father engagement who have
percent more likely to achieve in school. Father engagement
few models to emulate. For fathers in well-resourced and
also reduces the frequency of delinquency in boys, and rates of
underserved communities alike, and especially for incarcerated depression in young women. Conversely, lack of father engagefathers with limited opportunities to interact with their children, ment is associated with negative emotional, social, academic
training can assist in transforming each father-child interaction and behavioral outcomes for children, that can translate into
into a quality interaction. For institutions, the challenge is to enhigh costs to society.

Horace Mann Magazine Spring 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Spring 2017